Rembau — Riley Pickrell secured his first stage victory at the 30th Le Tour de Langkawi (LTdL) on October 2, ending a series of near misses in the Malaysian cycling race. The 25-year-old Canadian, riding for Modern Adventure Pro, won Stage 6 after a closely contested bunch sprint in Rembau, covering the 121.3-kilometer route from Pandan Indah in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 6 seconds.
Pickrell had previously placed second behind Matteo Malucelli of XDS-Astana in Stages 1 and 3, making this triumph a significant breakthrough in his debut LTdL appearance. Malucelli, the current leader in the sprint classification and holder of the blue jersey, finished second once again, while Seppe Van Den Boer of Tudor Pro Cycling claimed third place.
“I’ve been hungry for a win all season. I’ve gotten so close so many times, so I knew my time would come,” Pickrell said after the race. He credited his team’s efforts for positioning him well to outpace Malucelli at the finish, emphasizing their critical support in the sprint. “My boys did an amazing job today. They put me in a better position and I truly owe it to them.”
Pickrell’s performance this season has included a runner-up finish in Stage 4 of the Tour of Turkiye and a third-place result in the opening stage of the Arctic Race of Norway, marking him as a rising talent on the international circuit.
Despite the stage win, Malucelli retains the blue jersey, leading the sprint classification with 44 points compared to Pickrell’s 39. With two stages remaining, Pickrell acknowledged the ongoing challenge posed by Malucelli, describing him as a highly respected competitor expected to perform strongly in the remaining sprint stages.
“The last two sprint stages are more suited to him. But it’s a long race and everyone has a lot of mileage in the legs, so anything can happen,” Pickrell noted, maintaining a cautiously optimistic outlook.
In other classifications, Tudor Pro Cycling’s Lennart Jasch continues to lead in both the general classification, holding the orange jersey, and the King of the Mountain competition, wearing the polka-dot jersey. The best Asian rider remains Yuhi Todome from Aisan Racing Team, who holds the white jersey.
The race advances today with Stage 7, a 158.9-kilometer course from Melaka to Batu Pahat that features multiple sprint points at Tangkak, Bukit Kepong, and Parit Sulong, setting the stage for further contests among the sprinters in the peloton.